


Hunters and Seekers

by Tziput13



Category: Gravity Falls, Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Crossover, Friendship, Gen, Light-Hearted, Mild Language, One Shot, Post-Uncharted 4: A Thief's End, Post-Weirdmageddon, Strangers
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 12:29:14
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29700579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tziput13/pseuds/Tziput13
Summary: You never know what kind of strangers you may bump into at the bar counter.
Kudos: 1





	Hunters and Seekers

**Author's Note:**

> This one-shot contains spoilers for both the Gravity Falls animated series and 'Uncharted 4: A Thief's End'.

"I still can't understand well… why you dragged me here." Ford looked at Stan with a not so impressed expression.

"Oh, come on, poindexter. I thought I was pretty clear when I told you that… literally a few seconds ago."

"You know very well I'm not exactly, uh, well… the type for this kind of—"

"Cut me the preach," Stan interrupted, "and just drink that glass of beer down once it comes. It's not even about the beer itself!"

"Then what is it about?"

"Well… to celebrate our latest achievements, of course."

Ford groaned, directing his gaze back to the rest of the crowded restaurant. Apparently, Greasy's Diner had become much more popular since he and Stan had left Gravity Falls about a year prior—Stan didn't believe that was the case up until the very last moment, but even he had to recognize he'd been wrong when they saw the amount of people that were either eating up or waiting for their order right now. They even got an expansion in a gazebo on the backside with more seats.

And if that wasn't enough strange, most of the guests weren't townspeople either! Stan, who followed Ford's gaze, couldn't recognize a good chunk of the faces he could see among the crowds, which was something since he knew pretty much a lot of the inhabitants of Gravity Falls, even if not all the time they were on good terms. Make that most of the time.

You could just look at some of them… The perfect American family, mother, father and two sons. An elderly, energetic couple that was being entertained by Lazy Susan, who had taken a liking in them apparently. And a woman and her daughter being a bit more reserved, sitting a bit farther down the line of tables. Stan wondered just how much Soos was making in terms of revenue, with all these potential sucke—well, customers to rip o—welcome at the Shack.

As Stan had not explained himself further, Ford understood that for him he'd just stated the obvious. Sighing, he gave a look farther down the restaurant to check a specific table closer to the entrance. Even he could recognize the people who sat there.

Dipper and Mabel were playing some kind of game with their hands—most likely Mabel's idea, though he wondered if Soos had played a role in it considering how loud he was laughing. Soos' girlfriend Melody chuckled along with them, while Wendy texted on her phone to someone as she usually did with only apparent disinterest.

Ford's silent checkup was interrupted when Stan finally spoke up again. "And if that isn't clear, Ford," he resumed, leaning back in order to block his view and gain his full attention, "I mean celebrating both of our family successes, as well as our own!"

" _Our_ achievements? Other thank risking our lives multiple times, I think we ended up pretty much with nothing concrete, Stan."

"Oh, don't you start pointing out the details with me now! You were the first one who wanted to look up for nifty mysteries to study, Ford. And I'm pretty sure that's what we found."

"We found them, but we also discovered they were either mistaken report of natural events, or made-up poppycock, Stanley," Ford explained. "I long for the _true_ mystery, the unknown that is not easily explained and most definitely is not fake! The closest to that was the legend of the wrecked ship in Alaska that was guarded by a giant squid, and even then… it was just a random colossal squid—a known species—being somehow very protective of an abandoned vessel that turned out to be a fishing ship! That thing was full of crab shells and nothing else!"

"Heh, you must admit that the squid was very combative though. It proved to be a good sport as well, when Big Calamari realized it didn't have a chance against us," Stan chuckled to the memory while Ford sighed.

"Still, Ford, at least recognize that we've had our fair share of adventures out there, something worth sharing a story about at least. As our first year together again after thirty years of, well, nothin', I think we did pretty well all things considered. Didn't we?"

Ford pondered over his brother's words for a moment.

"…I guess you do have a point, Stanley."

"Here's your drinks, Misters," a female voice uttered. The Pines turned back to the counter just in time to see Pacifica Northwest, dressed in waiter attire, handing them the two glasses of beer Stan had ordered.

"Thank you, Pacifica," Ford politely thanked as he took the pint.

"Yeah, good job, kiddo. Handling yourself quite well here among the civilized, aren't you? Thought you were forever doomed to the life of the rich."

Pacifica blushed. "Please have mercy… I-I'm on the job!"

"I'm just kidding," Stan grinned. "And please go get that order for our table, will you? We've been waiting for ages."

"We just came here, Stanley."

"I'm just trying to encourage the kid a little! Give me a break!"

"I'll… d-do it," Pacifica wheezed out before rushing to pick a notepad and running up to the table where their friends were seated at.

"Geez, that kid. I thought Dipper said she became better with time."

"Maybe she did, you just kind of embarrassed her in front of every single patron at the counter. At her age you were not at ease all the time either."

Stan scoffed. "Excuse me? I was very much a social animal, unlike you…"

"If by social animal you mean punching and—"

"Regardless," Stan cut him off, "I'm not really in the mood for your lectures, Ford, so will ya' just take a sip and do a little toast with me?"

Ford lightly tipped the pint glass with his right hand. "Oh, all right, have it your way." He lifted the glass up. "To the family, and to our adventures. Hoping we might see something worth our time soon enough in our next endeavor!"

"Heh, that's better," Stan raised his own glass.

Before he and Ford could cling their glasses though…

"Well, I'm sure you old timers will get a good one, soon enough," a voice interjected.

The Pines twins almost jumped on their own seats. Ford quickly went for the magnetic gun he still didn't separate himself from, while Stan was ready to raise his hands in defence and, especially, offence.

"Hey, hey, calm the hell down! I was just trying to start things off with a good greeting here!" the man who had accidentally spooked them raised his hands out with his palms open, but that didn't deter Stan and Ford, who kept glaring at him. He was sitting right beside Ford at the counter, which explained why he had managed to take them by surprise.

"How about thinking twice before you scare the wits out of strangers?! Keep doing that and you'll get a gun pointed to your face soon enough!" Stan replied bitterly.

"That… has already happened quite a few times to him, I think. Still, he's not gonna get himself a gun pointed at his face, as long as I am here to keep him out of trouble," another man leaned over from behind the first one. "Isn't that right, Sam?"

"I was… oh come on, you can't pretend people won't notice and comment on what you're talking about, especially when you mention the apparently incredible adventures you went through, including the discovery of a mysterious wreck!" Sam replied to both the second man and the Pines. "It's not something common to hear people talk about this subject around. You got to be part of the field to understand that and the feeling of discovery that is along with it."

"Well, maybe we ain't interested in your opinion, pipsqueak," Stan retorted. He would've continued if it wasn't for Ford raising his hand, covering Stan's face with it. "Hey!"

"Pardon me, but did I hear it right? Part of the field?"

"Yeah, you know… part of the game. Learning of new jobs, get to visit the next incredible place known to few people, most of them being dead already… the usual stuff. Isn't that so?"

"Sam, I thought you promised we weren't gonna talk about work here. Remember, we're all on a holiday right now."

"Hey, it's not actual _work_ Nate. It's just sharing stories with what, I guess, are two colleagues that has also worked on the field… and who don't look like maniacs. No harm done in exchanging a few words, and besides, I never met these two. They may have something neat to share."

Nathan groaned. "I swear, if these two geezers end up being some sort of long lost nemesis of yours who will try to destroy us, I'm not gonna back you up in this one, Sam. You got—"

"This 'geezer' can easily clobber you to a pulp, _Mister,"_ Stan drawled.

Nathan raised an eyebrow as he stared at Stan with a very skeptical look. "You think so, old man?"

"Now, now… gentlemen." Ford finally took his hands off the magnetic gun he hid under his jacket, then he put it on Stan's shoulder while he looked at the two strangers. "I think that there's been a misconception here, so there's no need to aggravate ourselves over such a petty conflict. How about we… start from scratch, and see what we got to say to each other? If there's nothing interesting to be said, we'll just depart and pretend this never happened."

Stan glowered at the two men, then shrugged. "Eh, alright, Ford. We may as well do it while we're here."

"Thank you! See, Nate, not everyone is out for our blood—I mean, my blood," Sam joked. Nate gave him a deadpan look before regarding the Pines twins again.

"Ooo-kay. We may as well begin… I'll go first," he said. "Was this one the first time two got into a serious job? With that squid scenario you mentioned earlier, it sounds like it was quite a wild ride."

"Well…" Ford gave a glance to Stan, who simply shrugged. "Let's just say that it was just the first time we worked _together._ Truth be told, we both had experience… I guess I do at least."

"Hey, speak for yourself, I have experience as well! I'll have you know I've survived long enough by myself to be prepared for anything the world may throw at me!"

"Does that include the decades you spent running a tourist trap?"

"Yes," Stan said proudly. "Try coming up with new ways to keep the place interesting for thirty years, and then I'll accept your criticism."

Sam let out a laugh. "I like this guy."

"I don't think the feeling's mutual, pipsqueak…" Stan glared at him.

"Moving back to the job…" Nate continued. "Now, I understand it didn't end well, but I'm sure that was just one dead end. The world's full of those and you can't avoid them all, but there are also plenty of new leads to discover if you look hard enough. And sooner or later you ought to find the lead that ends up being a good one."

"Hmm… perhaps you know some to suggest?" Ford questioned.

"Hey, hey, hey. Let's not get ahead of ourselves, fellas. We're colleagues, not coworkers," Sam quickly said. "No hard feelings… I'm sure you can understand."

"All… right?" Ford wasn't sure why that clarification was even needed in the first place.

"In any case, my brother has already got a long list of places to check out," Stan added. "He's got a lot of things he missed in the last few years, so we don't really need any new suggestions."

"Wait… so, you _are_ brothers!" Sam exclaimed. "Brothers, and companions on the job! Well, I'll be damned if that isn't somewhat ironic, heh, Nate?"

"Yes… I hope for their sake they're a bit more collaborative with each other compared to us, considering… the last time," Nate replied.

"Aw, come on, it didn't go that bad."

Nate simply stared at him.

"I mean… in terms of just the, uh… the technicalities. The rough work itself. We handled ourselves well, didn't we?"

Nate sighed. "Let's just… not get there, Sam. I don't want to ruin the evening."

"Yeah, I can agree with that," Stan said. "You could say that we also had an adventure of sorts, about a year ago… and it didn't exactly go well… though we got out of it alive."

"And we'd rather not talk about that one either," Ford added. He spoke half because it was true that he didn't exactly look up to Weirdmageddon as one of the happiest moments of his life, half because he was still trying to make sure the events that had transpired during the event didn't get too far beyond the limits of Gravity Falls itself.

Even if these two men seemed to share the same interests of him, it was better safe than sorry in regards to that.

"But hey, one thing good that happened back then, was that I got my brother back out of it," Stan finished.

Nathan and Sam exchanged a glance.

"Are you two our alternate selves from a parallel universe?" Sam questioned.

This time it was Stan's turn to let out a loud laugh, enough to make some of the guests of the small restaurant turn their heads towards him annoyance. Ford was much more orderly in his reaction, limiting himself to a smile.

"Trust me when I tell you… parallel universes should be the least of your worries."

"Okay, now you are kind of being mysterious yourself, mister," Sam replied.

"What can I tell you, we all got our secrets," Stan retorted with a grin.

There was a little bit of silence after that. "Sooo… we're all gonna agree that we all got our things to think about and we'd rather not share much more than that?" Nate spoke up, not really enjoying the sudden awkwardness.

"Well…" Ford pondered over the situation for a moment. "We're two couples of brothers who found each other again in a recent adventure we had to go through. And we got back into the field together—"

"Actually, that's not true. I'm retired—I mean, no, I'm not actually retired, but I just changed my job and do something new now. I needed a, uh… change of scenery."

"Though it's never too late to—"

"Elena is right there, Sam. She'd kill you if she heard you."

"Nah, she's too busy listening to that chaotic being that is your daughter," Sam replied. "And I'm just joking by the way."

"You always are," Nate grumbled before regarding the Pines brothers again.

"In any case… if there's one thing I can tell you based on my own past experiences," he resumed, "is that there's always a chance that the spectrum of failure hits you. Second chances always come, but you can't avoid ending up with nothing concrete all the time. However, I've learned that to make it out alive is equally as important as the job being successful… especially if the people you care about are with you. With time I've realized that even if trying was worth it, living another day to tell the tale was even better. Thought that was worth sharing…"

"Huh. I can understand that feeling…" Stan said, giving a glance to his nephew and niece at their table. He guessed they had already taken their order, since Mabel was shouting at Dipper while Dipper was trying to fuse himself with the table and hide his red face. Then, he looked back at Ford.

"I've looked for this idiot for so long… that when we actually found each other again, we needed to do some catching up by ourselves. Heh… going off loitering around the world was probably our best decision in a long time. But that's true only as long as he's along for the ride."

"If I were to add to that thought… I think that knowing that you have family that _actually_ watches your back," Ford said with a smile, "is a very reassuring thing to have in mind, while you're looking for your next unbelievable story to uncover. Danger is part of the experience, that is true, but when you realize that there are people you can actually rely on… that you can _trust._ It makes it a whole lot easier. And great achievements are sure to come after that."

Sam nodded. "I've lived a long time without that comforting thought… so I know how it feels, now that I have it back. Even if my brother doesn't really help that much anymore—"

"Hey, I host you and Sully all the time when you have to take a break during your trips. You even put your name on the freaking guest room door! A whole nameplate!" Nate protested.

"Am I or not a member of the family though? I think I deserve that as brother, brother-in-law _and_ uncle of each family member."

Nate groaned while Sam simply chuckled.

"Still, don't expect your cut just because of that now, will you?"

"I don't think Elena would let me, and even then, you would just give me an unfair amount anyway…"

Nate looked at the Pines brothers and noticed that the two were now looking at them oddly.

"Uuh… did I say something wrong?"

"What do you mean with 'cut'?" Ford asked. He was most definitely confused by the wording used by the two.

The Drake brothers just stared at them for a couple of seconds. They were incredulous.

"We mean… your part, from the job's spoils?" Nathan explained.

"Yeah, after the treasure—or whatever you were looking for, is all captured and safely in your hands, you either get it back to your client, or decide how to use it if you don't have one. Then, you split the revenue you get from the payment. Easy enough, right?"

Ford was even more confused, but Stan leaned over with sudden interest.

"…treasure, you say?"

"Wait… I have already seen that look…" Nathan said, his trust in the two old strangers suddenly coming to a new low.

"No, seriously… treasure?" Ford said, his brows furrowed. "Uuh… I think that… there's been another misunderstanding here at the top of the first one… we don't really, uh, look for treasure, gentlemen."

"W-what?!" Sam was flabbergasted. "B-b-but then the mysteries you've been talking about up until now?! What are they about if not treasure or lost riches waiting to be found?"

"We seek mysteries and the unknown stories that this planet hides from the distracted eye, that no one has ever managed to explain," Ford said solemnly. "Our interest in them is either scientifical, or, well… for the experience of discovering them and learning what they really hide. We do not seek profit."

"W-wait, Ford, I think these two are into something, we may want to look more into this," Stan added.

"I said we _do not_ seek profit. We talked about this, Stan. No more scams and the such under my watch… and that includes searching for treasure to steal."

Stan grumbled under his breath, but he didn't speak further either.

"I wouldn't call it _stealing,"_ Sam specified.

"You are not helping," Ford glowered at him as well.

"Sooo…" Nathan said, "you're not, well, treasure hunters then. You're… how can I say it? Hmm… mystery seekers?"

"That's one way to put it, but yes," Ford confirmed.

Nathan nodded, then his features relaxed as he smiled a little. "You know what… I'll have to be honest, you two had us convinced up until the very last moment you were part of the same field I used to work in. Maybe our past adventures were not that different from each other, even if the final target was slightly different…"

"Perhaps we could share a bit more details on that front…?" Stan said once again. He leaned closer.

"Stanley…"

"It's just for information! And don't you tell me you wouldn't appreciate the funds, poindexter. All of your PhD scholarships and research contracts depleted a long time ago."

"Thank you for reminding me of what I missed, Stanley…" Ford narrowed his eyes. Stan simply scowled.

"And even then, we would still be, well… colleagues. And competitors on the market. So, it wouldn't be our best decision to share stuff with you… it's more of a 'who gets there first takes it' kind of deal," Sam explained.

"That's oversimplifying it… by a whole lot."

"They don't need the details, Nate."

"Listen, see it this way. Rather than talking about your possible future ventures, we can just talk about the past ones both of us can tell. I'm sure there's no damage in talking about those, isn't it? It'd just be sharing stories at that point."

"I… guess," Sam agreed reluctantly. "I don't… exactly have a whole lot to talk about, though. I was kind of focused on just one thing most of the time… now that I think about it, it kinda feels bad."

"Well, it's good that we dealt with that one in the end. And you know what?" Nate smiled as he looked at the Pines twins. "You two fellas are fun enough. We could always share a pint in the future if you ever want to hear how it's like on this side of the coin."

Stan's eyes lit up, but then he frowned. "I am expecting you to hold your word, or so help me if—"

"Grunkle Stan?"

Stan and Ford once again were taken aback by the sudden interruption.

"M-Mabel?!" Ford managed to blurt out.

Stan calmed down much quicker, since he was used to being suddenly interrupted by his niece. "Hey pumpkin, what's up?"

"I think you two have had enough of your brother-to-brother moment," she said, hands of her hips. "I want you back at the table to go back to the family-to-family moments! And no buts, trying to start a fight with strangers is not a good enough reason to keep stalling!"

"What?! We didn't even manage to finish the toast! And he was the one who started it, not me!" Stan protested, pointing an accusing finger at Sam.

Sam was going to defend himself, but Mabel beat him to it. "Ha, classic Grunkle Stan."

She seized her great-uncle's arm and started pulling hard. "The days you were able to mislead me and Dipper all the time have long since ended, though, so move it! And that's true for you too, Grunkle Ford! Don't you make me do something you'll regret far more than I will!"

"I wouldn't even dream of it, Mabel," Ford said with a grin as his brother kept trying to pry away from his niece, but Mabel's grip was steel-like. It looked like her muscles had become quite stronger in a single year, much to his chagrin.

"Hey, you two, hear me out! I mean it when I said I was interested in that treasure deal you mentioned!" Stan cried out as Mabel kept pulling him away despite his half-serious efforts at stopping her. "Look for the Mystery Shack in town, there are fliers everywhere! I'M GONNA LOOK FOR YOU MYSELF IF YOU DON'T!"

"Pfff! Come on Grunkle Stan, you said that this was your week off! And that includes discussing your future plans! As long as we're here, your attention is only mine and Dipper's!"

"This is important, Mabel! It could make us rich!"

"Not as important as having a healthy relationship with your favorite and only niece! Now get a move on yourself!"

Ford stepped down the stool and made a couple of steps towards his brother and niece, but he stopped after that to turn around for a moment. He looked at the two strangers who had decided to intervene during their toast for some reason—he noticed that the pints Stan had ordered were still there, untouched.

"In all honesty," he said, "I wouldn't mind speaking with you again as well. Just… try not to turn my brother into a treasure maniac. Took me a while to convince him not to try and earn a few bucks at any possible chance during our travels."

"Well…" Nate pointed a thumb at his brother. "I can say this guy got experience in that department, so he at least knows what _not_ to do."

"Seriously, Nate?"

"It's the truth."

Ford nodded. "Well, time for a goodbye I guess. I'll see you sometime in the future… well, Sam and Nate. Right?"

"Nathan Drake, and Samuel Drake," Nathan corrected. He and Sam extended their hands and Ford quickly shook them both. He nodded again, picked the glasses up then turned and rushed back to his family before Mabel decided to drag him back to their table as well.

Nathan and Sam looked for a few seconds at the Pines family in the distance. Mabel was shouting something at Stan and Ford, while Dipper and Wendy were laughing at their discomfort. Soos and Melody simply smiled awkwardly.

"Heh, that girl… she sounds like a more chaotic version of Cassie," Sam asked.

"Just a little bit, really… there's no stopping her when she wants something as well. But Cassie's is more about knowledge to be honest. In fact, I bet that the boy up there is more similar to her for this reason."

"Hell, so the similarities don't just stop at the great uncles. Talk about coincidence…"

Sam turned back to the counter as he added, "I guess those two kids are brother and sister as well."

"Yep." Nathan followed his example. Unlike the Pines, though, they had already finished up their own glasses, so they didn't really have anything left to do. "That girl has been taunting her brother non-stop since we entered this diner, hard not to notice consider how loud she's being—and how bright that sweater of her. That's something you usually see only in siblings," Nathan noted.

"I can see that. I was the one doing most of the taunting, now that I think about it…"

"You think you did? I have by far the best sense of humor between the two of us," Nathan looked defiantly at him.

"You know what… let's have a race one of these days. Who makes Cassie laugh the most, wins. And Sully's the judge."

"You like winning easy, don't you? Cassie laughs at pretty much anything you do. And you're just stealing Sully's own jokes, so of course he's gonna like them."

"Sure, she does, and what I can tell you about Sully… great minds think alike." Sam chuckled, then looked down to the pints he and Nathan had shared earlier, realizing himself they were empty.

"Let's get back to the table, shall we," Nathan said. "Before Elena thinks you're trying to get me drunk."

"Okay…"

They stood up from their seats and went in the other direction. At the very far end, they found Elena and Cassie, with Cassie still busy digging down her plate of food, while Elena was looking out of the window. Gravity Falls was at night, so there was not much to check out at that hour… it was Elena's idea to try out one of the local diners for the evening.

Nathan wasn't convinced at first; however, considering that they had soon discovered that nightlife wasn't exactly the best part of the town as a tourist attraction, he'd ended up accepting her idea. Besides, she was the one who chose the town in the first place, so she was the one who was more informed about the amenities and pubs Gravity Falls offered.

"Oh, you two are finally back," she greeted them when she noticed the two brothers had returned. "I was beginning to think you managed to get Nate into some of your drinking games."

"Oh, I would never! Don't worry, the most I tried to pull off this time was almost making two old men pounce at us."

Elena's eyes widened in shock.

"He's just messing with you, Elena…" Nate quickly explained as he sat down beside her. Sam did the same, taking the seat beside Cassie, who had not stopped eating yet. "Is Sully still out with that cigar of his?"

"Yep," Elena confirmed, glancing at the window again. "Hasn't come back since you two went to take those pints. But that cigar was bigger than usual, so I'm not surprised…" She then turned to Nate, thoughtfully looking at him.

"About those two old men that Sam mentioned… I noticed you discussing with two strangers. You aren't really the type to try and start a conversation with any guy you happen to meet. What was up with them?"

Nathan shrugged. "We just, well… met two interesting fellas at the counter, I guess. They were brothers just like me and Sam… apparently, they have a lot in common with the two of us that you would've said at first glance."

"Do they…?" Elena asked with interest. "I thought you two were pretty unique."

"Yeah… I shought your adventurshes were bashically imposshible to replicate," Cassie chimed up, still chewing on the piece of food she was busy eating up.

Nathan smiled at her daughter's half-failed attempt at talking with her mouth still full. Then, he thought about their comments for a few seconds.

"I… thought so too to be honest. Huh… I guess that in this world, there's always a chance to meet someone who's closer to you than you'd think."

**END**

**Author's Note:**

> This was written without any outline, basically a stream of consciousness (without considering editing). It's been a while since I played the Uncharted games starring Nathan, so I hope I got that side of the crossover right… but once I got this idea after playing The Lost Legacy, I just had to write it down. Regardless, any feedback would be appreciated! Thank you for reading!


End file.
